McKeller Flash Fiction: Chapped Lips
by hifield
Summary: A little drabble for the Flash Fiction Challenge. NEW... time to turn the tables.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own any part of Stargate Atlantis or the awesome characters.

This little bit of nothing is in response to Dani's challenge and 300 words is definitely a challenge … but 300 words it is!

Hope you enjoy.

* * *

"What was it about some men?" Dr. Keller thought settling at her desk after treating Rodney for chapped lips. _Chapped lips!_ What a waste. She would've had a lot more sympathy if Katie Brown were still in the picture, at least that would have been a better reason instead of a simple lack of hydration.

Jennifer shook her head thinking back over the past few months. She'd tried everything to get the man's attention. She lacked the experience and finesse to properly chase a man, therefore her intentions were pretty clear to everyone except her intended. She was tired of flipping her hair and laughing at everything he said. Sighing heavily she left the infirmary heading to the mess hall for lunch.

* * *

"What's with all the water McKay?"

"Who knew… a simple bottle of water could've alleviated all the years I've struggled with chapped lips."

"Surely there are other causes for this condition," Teyla questioned.

"I can think of one," Jen smirked, washing her lunch down with her own bottle of water. Looking up she noticed everyone had shifted their gaze from Rodney to her. She could feel the blush engulf her face.

"What? I think I should know of any other causes since I tend to be sensitive to this condition," McKay huffed, annoyed with her lack of full disclosure. "I really think you should have warned me of other causes during my examination, I can't afford to be distracted by afflictions that could be avoided."

"Rodney, it's chapped lips!" she hissed, feeling the full force of her frustration.

"Perhaps you could demonstrate some other causes, Doc," Sheppard chuckled, stirring the pot.

"Yes, I want everything you have on the subject." Rodney demanded.

"Fine, come by my quarters tonight and I'll demonstrate," she snapped, walking out of the lunchroom.


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: I got to thinking that I just left our two geniuses hanging and had this little idea roaming around in my head so decided to add to the story. Sorry … I didn't even try to fit it into 300 words – I'm long winded! This is for DaletheChu … thanks for prodding me to finish.

To all my McKeller friends (writers and readers): You all know I'm not a McKeller writer so I hope I wasn't too out of character for all you dedicated shippers. Now that I've played with Rodney and Jennifer for a little while it's time to give them back. Thanks for letting me play in your back yard.

* * *

Chapter 2

Jennifer paced back and forth in front of her desk stressing over her comment about chapped lips during lunch. Too bad she didn't know how to cast a spell so she could get even with Sheppard for stirring the pot. She'd never met anyone as clueless as Rodney when it can to things of the heart … actually, when it came to anything other than physics. The man was a genius but so often lacked awareness of the obvious. She wondered if blonde jokes, which she'd had to endure her whole life, could be interchanged with genius ones.

How many geniuses does it take to screw in a light bulb? One to hold it, one to interpret it's effectiveness, one to redesign the package, one to make a better version and one to publish a paper on it.

She sat down in her chair and slowly banged her head on her desk thinking her thoughts had taken on a life of their own concerning this man. She had to figure out someway to get him out of her head.

She needed to put aside her thoughts of his quirky disposition, his dedication, the way he looked when he finally solved a problem, his passion for anything scientific, the way he rambled when he was nervous not to mention his brilliant blue eyes, his perfect smile, his beautiful hair (how she'd love to run her hands through it) … STOP! She needed to stop thinking about him. Just watching him walk through the Stargate in his BDU all decked out in black with his P-90 hanging from his vest was enough to cause her to swoon … ENOUGH! She'd given it a shot and he wasn't interested. Surely her feminine charms were at least comparable to Katie's … weren't they? Then again, maybe he was as clueless as he appeared to be.

oOo

Rodney watched the clock, marking this the slowest day EVER! He planned on taking Jennifer up on her offer after work but the time seemed to be standing still. What surprised him the most was how Jennifer couldn't see through his ruse with the chapped lips. That was probably the lamest excuse he'd come up with just to spend time with her in the infirmary… but he'd used up every other excuse he could think of short of a sparing accident with Ronon and he wasn't that desperate yet. For the genius she appeared to be she certainly lacked in the romance department. Sure … he'd admit that he might have been a bit slow to notice her interest in him but since that time they'd spent together in the mine he'd visited the infirmary at least once a week hoping she'd catch on and invite him for another drink. Hopefully tonight would go well and he wouldn't have to beat around the bush anymore. It was time to tear a page out of the Sheppard playbook and make a move.

oOo

Jennifer looked at the stack of patient files on her desk and sighed. She knew she'd never be able to concentrate and decided to lock things up and call it a day. Besides, she had a little research to conduct and she may as well do it in her quarters.

oOo

After ingesting a power bar and bottle of water Jen moved over to her bookcase and pulled a _symptoms and treatments_ book off the top shelf. Sitting down in her lounge chair she started thumbing through the index hoping for some rare obscure causes for Rodney's condition on the off chance she might actually have to discuss the problem again.

After spending an hour scouring her brain and book for anything that might seem plausible she found a handful of obscure causes that would only shoot his hypochondria into overdrive. Returning the book to the shelf she changed into causal clothes hoping a bit of exercise would help her relax. Also, escaping from her room now would insure she wouldn't have to deal with Rodney if he happened to show up.

Jennifer slipped on her shoes and walked out the door dancing around in the corridor as she fixed her right sneaker while hopping on her other foot. Problem solved, she looked up just as she ran into Rodney who'd been standing in her path smirking at her juggling act.

"Rodney … I'm sorry, I didn't see you," she stuttered, hoping he still didn't possess any latent mind reading skills.

"Did you forget our date?"

"Sorry, I was just going for a walk. Date … you mean about your condition?"

"Why don't I walk with you … you can enlighten me while we get some fresh air," he suggested feeling guilty for the discomfort he was causing.

Moving toward the transporter, she suggested they walk out on the east pier, which provided the best view of the rising moons. It also provided the darkness she craved to hide the different shades of red she could feel creeping up her neck.

Jennifer found herself rambling on about medical school and her teenage years trying to keep the conversation away from the many causes and cures of chapped lips or any other of the many maladies Rodney had presented with in the past month. Now that she thought about it, he always seemed to do better when she was off duty … she'd have to revisit that thought later when she was alone in her room.

Rodney entertained her with accomplishments and accolades he'd received during his career before settling into an exchange of college experiences and embarrassments they'd both endured in their younger years. All too soon the evening turned cold and they found themselves heading back to the warmth of the city.

As he punched the crew destination on the transporter screen Rodney found himself reluctant to end their evening so soon.

"Are you hungry? Because I could use a little something before going back to work."

"Really … you plan on working more tonight?" she asked surprised and maybe a little disappointed.

"Ah … yeah, I left early so we could _talk_."

"I'm not really all that hungry and hate to keep you," she answered scrambling for something to say to change the subject. "You don't need to walk me back to my room especially since it's out of your way," she added smiling, hoping he wouldn't ask about the whole chapped lip charade.

Rodney was stressed, realizing he had no plans for an exit strategy from this cat and mouse game they seemed to be playing.

"I don't mind at all," he offered as they stepped out of the transporter.

Jennifer realized it was her moment of truth as she arrived back at her quarters and still hadn't answered his original query.

"I hope it wasn't too cold for you," she started, arriving at her door. Turning to face Rodney she quietly gasped as he pressed into her personal space robbing her of any rational thought. "Ah … cold can be the number one cause of chapped lips," she bumbled gazing into his incredible eyes as he pinned her against the door without a touch.

"I'm a bit embarrassed to admit I checked into some of the causes myself this afternoon and found this to be one as well," he whispered leaning in to cover her lips with a deliciously sweet kiss.

Jennifer returned the kiss losing herself in the pleasant sensations. This was so much more than she'd imagined and wanted it to last. "… only if you overdo it," she whispered back. "You just need to keep your lips slightly damp," she grinned slowly moistening his lower lip,

"Hummm … I'll have to remember that," he softly whispered in her ear. "Thanks for the advice Doc," he said giving her one last kiss before breaking away and sauntering down the corridor toward the mess hall sporting a satisfied smirk.

Jennifer leaned against her door wearing a half grin as she watched the lovely view moving away from her. "You're welcome," she sighed quietly to herself. "Any time."


	3. Chapter 3

AN: I just couldn't leave these two alone! This chapter is for my friend Dani Wilder who's had a hard summer … hope this makes you smile Dani.

* * *

Chapter 3

Rodney had a small panic attack after kissing Jennifer – he'd feel better about the brilliant surgeon if she wore a pocket protector in her scrub top pocket. He'd never won the hot girl – look how he messed it up with Katie. Once he'd actually caught the attention of the smart, beautiful botanist he'd stumbled around long enough with his own insecurities until he's driven her back to Earth. Although now in hindsight, he realized he was probably just settling for the relationship because, as Jeannie put it, he'd never find anyone better. _Won't she be surprised_, he smirked to himself.

When his composure returned he felt like patting himself on the back as he walked the corridors back to his lab. He was extremely proud of himself for making the first move, unless you counted her teasing in the lunchroom, which he didn't. This must be what Sheppard feels like all the time, he thought walking into his sanctuary. Well, he could Kirk it with the best of them he silently declared, standing a little taller than usual.

oOo

Jennifer sat in her office working on a stack of patient files … or rather staring at nothing specific with a patient file opened in front of her. She couldn't stop thinking about the "kiss". It still sent shivers up her body thinking about the time she'd spent with Rodney last night, maybe the attractive scientist wasn't as clueless as he appeared to be.

Thinking of this tug-of-war they seemed to be playing with each other she couldn't help but be reminded of childhood games of tag. The few times she'd been invited to join the neighborhood kids in her pre-adolescent years, the game quickly dissolved into tapping and running from the one you'd most like to be sequestered with. The only time she'd ever been touched was when Billy Forester accidentally mistook her for Madelyn Cleary …from behind they both looked similar except for the 4" height difference and color of hair … clearly the boy needed glasses.

Gazing again beyond her reports to some undistinguished spot on the wall she began daydreaming of long walks on the east pier under moonlit skies, romantic dinners for two on one of the isolated balconies and ending the summer with a year's subscription to Bridal magazine… if she was going to dream she may as well dream big.

As Jennifer was mentally picking out her bridesmaid's dresses she was ripped away from her well-designed Shangri-La back to reality by raised, shrieking voices much like a phonograph needle scratching across a record. As the volume rose in the infirmary she left her dreaming behind and quickly jumped into the fray. Standing beside Marie she took a moment while a very annoyed Dr. Cole brought her up to speed.

"Stop saying I fainted … I'm not some love struck teenager at my first Beatles concert," he growled loudly at Radek from the bed Marie had assigned him. When the call came in from Zelenka that McKay was sprawled out on the Chair Room floor Marie quickly dispatched Dr. Cole and a team to assess the situation.

"Fainted … I've never fainted. Are you questioning my masculinity?" he growled, pushing the controls on the bed to sit himself up. "You're mistaken … you need to take a closer look," he ranted, glaring at both doctors.

Throwing her hands up, Dr. Cole turned to Jennifer with pleading eyes, "Could you please …?" Cole asked, nodding toward the overly excited physicist.

"Not a problem, I'll take care of him," Jennifer offered, rolling her eyes. Turning to the others gathered around the bed she dismissed everyone except Radek hoping to create a calmer atmosphere.

"I don't faint … I'm sure something is wrong and it's your job to make sure I haven't picked up some debilitating condition from one of my underlings."

"Radek, what happened exactly?" she asked, hoping to get a better explanation of his symptoms.

"We were working on some new calibrations for the Ancient chair and he … just fainted.

"Enough with the fainting already! I may have skipped lunch but this is something else … so dust off your medical books and figure out what I've got before I'm needed in the control room," he ordered Jennifer, while glaring angrily at his fellow scientist.

"Well," she began, looking at Zelenka, "were there any other unusual symptoms?"

"One minute he was doing his usual ranting and the next," Radek described, ending with a hand motion of someone falling, "he just fainted," the scientist finished, smirking.

"Okay … that's it. You're only making things worse … get back to work but don't touch anything on the chair," he growled at his co-worker. "I don't have time to fix your mistakes."

Zalenka huffed out of the infirmary chanting unpleasantries in his native tongue talking a mile a minute. Jennifer worked hard at hiding her smile as she watch the scientist replay the fainting scene with both hands. Knowing Rodney would never settle for a quick explanation she moved closer and began a more thorough exam.

"Calm down Rodney … what was the last thing you remember?" she asked while taking his blood pressure and charting his temperature.

"I felt a little light headed."

"How much sleep did you get last night?"

"I worked through but I've done that a million times before so that's not it," he insisted.

"Well, all your vitals fall well within the normal range. I think your blood sugar levels just fell too low, you know you need to keep a better check on that."

"No, no, no, no, no … you can't dismiss this so causally. I'm sure I have a temperature … I'm hot and I'm having heart palpations, shortness of breath and I'm having a hard time concentrating," he explained. He was never one to loose his train of thought but right now he couldn't remember anything gazing into her beautiful brown eyes. He wondered why he'd never noticed how hypnotizing they were before.

"Rodney, please … calm… down. You're going to be fine. You fainted from a lack of sleep and food," Jennifer explained, worried he'd actually cause a problem with his blood pressure if he didn't relax. "You should be happy you didn't get zapped by some crazy piece of Ancient technology or bitten by a Pegasus bug," she chuckled. "You can rest here for another hour and I'll check your vitals again. Then you'll be free to go."

"Please," he quietly pleaded reaching for the doctor's hand.

"If it will make you feel better I'll draw some blood and do a few tests but I think you're fine." Jennifer found her own heart doing a few flip-flops as he continued to hold her hand. Smiling tenderly at her patient she began to understand his concerns. The longer she held his hand the more she mirrored his symptoms.

"Yes … yes do the tests," he asked, having lowered his voice significantly. "I'm not panicking … it's just that … well, now that I have … you know, a personal life … at least I think I do after last night … I just don't want anything to spoil it," he stammered.

After drawing a vile of blood she reached over and patted Rodney's hand giving him a reassuring smile before leaving for her lab.

Rodney closed his eyes trying to relax. As thoughts of Jennifer invaded his mind he slowly drifted off to sleep with a small smile on his face.

Dr. Keller ran a few routine tests on the blood she'd drawn confirming her initial diagnosis of low blood sugar … combine that with lack of sleep and skipping meals and the natural result would be fainting. Finding Rodney asleep when she returned to his bedside she decided to let him rest while she cleaned up her work area.

Thirty minutes later she found Rodney just starting to stir as she approached his bed. "Hey sleepyhead… feeling better?" she grinned, taking a seat on the bed.

"Since you aren't frowning with concern I'm feeling a lot better," he smiled, reaching once again for her hand.

"Your blood test indicated your blood sugar levels were out of wack … like we thought," she playfully teased. "You're free to leave and here are some follow-up instructions," she explained handing him the usual sheet of dos and don'ts he'd seen a thousand times since arriving in Atlantis.

Rodney glanced at the instructions as Jennifer stood. Across the sheet in large, bold letters she'd scribbled, _Go eat … then get some sleep. I'm hoping you'll need your strength tonight! _Rodney looked up raising his eyebrows suggestively as he realized she'd beat him at his own game.

Jennifer slowly leaned down … hesitating a small moment before softly kissing him. It was a tentative kiss starting off slow and sweet but somewhere along the way it intensified coursing through them like a freight train. Rodney reached up and pulled her back to the bed drawing her closer for the next assault. The two explored all the new sensations … lost in a world of their own making until Jennifer heard Marie clear her throat.

Pulling back she softly whispered, "Tag … you're it," leaving Rodney with a puzzled look on his face.

"What's up?" she asked, approaching Marie.

Rodney watched her disappear deeper into the infirmary smiling as he reached for his post treatment instructions. This was one time he planned on following the doctor's orders.


End file.
